CHAPTER II.

THE UNION BOYS AT DONELSON.

"FATHER," said Frank, the next time that conversation turned upon the public events of the day, "our teacher mentioned the taking of Donelson this morning, and said he thought it was the severest battle of the war thus far, and that we took more prisoners than had ever been taken before. in any one engagement on the continent."

"That's what General Grant says," replied Mr. Warren, "and as for the fighting, we can judge it to have been hard work, since the Fort is surrounded with hills and ridges, bristling with ramparts, and since the greybacks boasted that they could hold the place against a hundred thousand men. But they were mistaken; for we only had thirty-two thousand, or thereabouts. I have read that the rebel soldiers were so exhausted with fatigue

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and cold that they would actually fall asleep while standing in line of battle under fire. For three days, beginning on the thirteenth of February, the conflict raged from daylight till dark. Mention is made of a Union battery whose twentyfour pound guns were thundering with scarcely a moment's interruption during four hours. When the ammunition was gone, the Captain tried to get more from the rear; but as he was starting, a ball plunged through three of his horses, another tore away the mounting of his gun, and a third smashed into a gun-carriage. Only one piece fit for use was left, and this, owing to the thick mud, could not be dragged away. Later in the day our men regained the ground, and found all the guns lying as they fell, as they were too heavy for the rebels to remove.

"If a fellow had to stand that sort of firing for three days I should think he'd be mashed into flinders," said Roger.

"Yet our brave men either stood in their places or fell in them," continued Mr.

Warren. "Those Western troops are in no way behind their Eastern brethren in 'pluck' or 'grit.' Our lines were ranged in the shape of an irregular crescent about the beleaguered height, and followed no regular plan of attack, but charged now here, now there, as the situation required. Regiments which had never been in battle stood steady for long periods under the enemy's fire. Sometimes a column would push its way up to the steep intrenchments, only to find the summit fringed with sharp walls of brush-wood, which could neither be crawled through nor climbed over.

Much of the battle-ground, say the accounts, is covered with an undergrowth of oak, whose dead leaves are the color of the rebel uniforms, and in the smoky light of battle, our troops were often in doubt whether the enemy was near or not. The rebels held their positions stubbornly, and often the fight became a hand-to-hand one.

Thus throughof the Union

out the long struggle the tide army rolled back and forth.

The nights

were cold and stormy. No fires could be lighted, for the enemy was too near, and our battle-worn men ate their cold rations and rested as they might, amid the rain and snow. On Saturday, the third day of the battle, the capture of the Fort seemed as remote and difficult as ever; part of our line had been repulsed, and the gunboats, disabled by the river batteries, had been forced to retire. Our good Commodore Foote, too, was wounded. Standing with hand on the pilot's shoulder, he counseled him to be calm and firm, for everything,' he said, depends upon coolness now.' The words were hardly spoken when a ball plunged into the pilot-house, and killed the pilot. A falling beam wounded the Commodore in the foot.

"Something must be done to check the rebels, or the loyal dead, lying thick on the field, would have fallen in vain, and the steadfast courage of our western heroes would avail nothing. Two regiments of Wallace's Division were sent forward to occupy a hill, from whence a Union brig

ade had been driven some hours before. On their way they met numbers of men. who had suffered in the repulse, and who warned them of the peril, saying, 'You'll never come back from the hill. Our line was cut to pieces up there this morning.' It's certain death,' etc. However, they went onward, and when opposed by the rebel bullets, they fell flat to the ground, according to the Zouave practice, loading on their backs, and on their feet only when advancing or returning fire. Their tactics perplexed the enemy; he began to give way. 'On, men, on! Forward, Zouaves!' cried the officers, and with a cheer and a rush forward the men cleared the hill, and drove the greybacks to their intrenchments. Once inside, they raked the charging column with a heavy fire. Here come those cursed Zouaves,' said a rebel who recognized them.

'Fire low, boys, if you want to do any good.' But the Zouaves were not to be driven back. A halt was made on the brow of the hill at dusk, and the men waited